Haunted Hospital

The Trans Allegheny Lunatic Asylum

Photo: Tim Kiser\commons.wikimedia.org

The haunted hospital of Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum is considered to be one of the
scariest places on earth!

In the past, this immense structure of both shadow and light was
called “Weston State Hospital”, located in the area of West Virginia. Constructed over the
course of several years, and completed around 1881, several hauntings are said to occur in
and around the massive building. To date, paranormal investigators and those that are
interested in topics that are from beyond the grave are highly interested in the secrets of
the haunted hospital.

In the year of 1864, the building was opened to individuals who suffered serious delusions and other complications of the mind. It is said that awful, unspeakable things took place within the walls of this cold, dark hospital. Initially, cruel and unusual medical treatments were used – with the best intentions, of course. During this era, little was known about diseases of the mind and there was a lot of experimentation done to determine if there were any cures for the diseases. Unfortunately, after a period of time, the staff determined that the treatments were ineffective as far as a cure was concerned, but effective as a means of cruel treatments.

There were a large number of people who watched, day after day, as people that they resided with were mistreated. Many of these patients were just like you and I, yet maybe they had a small case of depression. They had to sit idle and observe as the people that they came to know and made friends with at the hospital were treated in a severely inhuman way. All the while seeing their friends and people that they shared rooms with being tormented, and even murdered, many knew that they were next – whether they attempted to stop the cruel treatment or not.

By the time that the 1950’s arrived, the hospital that was designed for individuals with room for two hundred and fifty individuals became so overcrowded that it housed nearly two thousand five hundred people. The infamous Charlie Manson also had a brief stay here. The conditions were not only inhumane, but they were not sanitary or comfortable at all. Many residents became sick and passed away during this time, while others were simply put to their death. This marked the beginning of an end to the emotional and physical devastation experienced by thousands of people throughout the history of the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum.The hospital closed for good in 1994 and was purchased by auction along with its 300 acres of land in September of 2007.

There is a large amount of paranormal activity that is rumored to occur in this large, ominous, haunted hospital. Many have experienced firsthand apparitions in various locations on the inside of the massive structure, as well as on the grounds surrounding the structure. Then, there are some who have been plagued with unusually frightening sounds while on the grounds, and within the structure itself. These sounds have been described in many different ways. Many claim that they hear people talking when there is no one else available to contribute to the voices heard. Then, there are many who have heard the distant screams and cries of someone who appears to be in a great deal of pain and anguish.

Several people who have elected to visit the haunted hospital have brought along their cameras, camcorders, and digital audio recorders in an effort to collect evidence that suggests that there are, in fact, hauntings. To date, several ghost pictures, ghost videos, and EVP’s have been caught as living proof that death is evident within the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum. There are several different types of tours that are available for individuals who are interested in trying their hand at ghost hunting. If you have a passion for learning about haunted places to go, check out the haunted hospital of Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum. To learn more about the history and hauntings of the Trans-Allegheny Asylum visit the Haunted Places Blog.